A Comprehensive Bibliometric Analysis of Objective Weighting Methods in Multi-Criterion Decision-Making

Objective weighting methods have gained significant importance in the field of multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) due to their ability to determine criterion importance based on data-driven characteristics, thereby minimizing subjective bias. This study aims to examine the evolution, intellectual structure, and global research trends of objective weighting methods by conducting a comprehensive bibliometric analysis of 23,684 publications in the Web of Science (WoS) database from 1990 to 2025. The findings show significant and accelerating growth in scientific output, particularly after 2017, along with a rapid expansion of research interest in this area. Keyword analysis identified the Entropy method as the most dominant and frequently used approach, with 1,712 occurrences, significantly outperforming other methods. Co-authorship analysis reveals that China leads in both publication output (8,711 documents) and citation impact (127,032 citations), while the United States demonstrates the highest level of international connectivity, occupying a central position in global collaboration networks. The results demonstrate a strong correlation between objective weighting studies and sustainability-focused topics, particularly Sustainable Development Goal 13 (Climate Action), followed by Sustainable Development Goals 3 and 11. Overall, this study provides a structured and comprehensive overview of the global research landscape of objective weighting methods in the field of MCDM, offering valuable insights for future research directions and methodological advancements.